2. Experience of disability and/or chronic health problems for individuals and families across the lifespan

2.1. Experience and meaning of independence for diverse individuals with disabilities and/or chronic health problems2.2. Response of diverse families to alterations in independence and disability and/or chronic health problems2.3. Experience and meaning of accessibility as it relates to diverse individuals, families, and communities2.4. Influence of caregivers of persons with disabilities and/or chronic health problems re maintenance of function & quality of life2.4. Experience and meaning of healthy lifestyles and/or healthy aging as it relates to disabilities and/or chronic health problems

3. Rehabilitation in the changing healthcare system

3.1. Relationships between & among individual characteristics such as behavior & functional status, and caregiver staffing within rehabilitation settings3.2. Individuals' functional outcomes in relation to the type, intensity, and duration of rehabilitation nursing services received3.3. Effectiveness of rehabilitation programs with respect to individual and/or family outcomes across the continuum of care3.4. The impact of recent changes to the healthcare system and healthcare funding, such as, but not limited to, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), bundling, and accountability of rehabilitation nursing services on outcomes3.5. The impact of nurse staffing and patient acuity on the type, intensity, and duration of rehabilitation nursing services delivered3.6. The impact of legislation and funding on access to rehabilitation programs

4. The rehabilitation nursing profession

4.1. Ethical issues related to the practice of rehabilitation nursing4.2. The effect of changing healthcare priorities on the practice of rehabilitation nursing4.3. The contributions and the cost of rehabilitation nurses as components of the rehabilitation process4.4. The effects of rehabilitation nursing practice models, advanced practice nursing, and nurses' competency levels on individual outcomes in various service settings4.5. Education and training needs for future, new, and experienced rehabilitation nurses

5. Nursing and outcomes evaluation

5.1. The impact of the nurse on individual/population outcomes5.2. The impact of the CRRN on individual/population outcomes5.3. The impact of nurse education on individual/population outcomes5.4. The impact of the advanced practice nurse on individual/population outcomes5.5. The impact of patient and provider goals on outcomes5.6. The impact of rehabilitation setting on individual/population outcomes5.7. Evaluation of the integration of outcomes measurement into rehabilitation nursing

6. Nursing and evidence-based practice

6.1. Evaluation of the integration of the best and latest evidence into rehabilitation nursing practice in terms of feasibility, cost effectiveness, timing, outcomes and sustainability6.2. Evaluation of the implementation of Institute of Medicine guidelines in the rehabilitation setting

The mission of ARN is to promote and advance professional rehabilitation nursing practice through education, advocacy, collaboration, and research to enhance the quality of life for those affected by disability and chronic illness.

Rehabilitation nursing is a philosophy of care, not a work setting or a phase of treatment. Rehabilitation nurses work in a range of practice settings including freestanding rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, community and government agencies, and schools and universities.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses established the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation (RNF) to advance rehabilitation nursing practice by promoting, supporting, conducting, and disseminating research to improve the quality of healthcare for individuals with disability and/or chronic health problems. RNF published the first edition of the Rehabilitation Nursing Research Agenda in 1995 to identify the gaps in rehabilitation nursing knowledge and to encourage research in these areas. In 2005 and again in 2014, the RNF research agenda and grant program were reviewed and priority areas for research important to rehabilitation nursing practice were established.

The process of revising the agenda included evaluating the effectiveness of the original agenda and placing it within the context of the healthcare system in the first decade of the 21st century. Proposed revisions were appraised by a representative sample of nurses practicing rehabilitation nursing. The revised agenda is consistent with the research goals of the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Nursing Research, as well as the national health objectives identified in the Healthy People initiative.

RNF accomplishes its mission by supporting grants to individual researchers to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals with disabilities and/or chronic health problems. In evaluating applications for its grants, RNF gives preference to those that reflect the priorities identified in the agenda. RNF offers funding of over $30,000 annually for rehabilitation nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and Quality Improvement (QI) projects. These funds are awarded in the form of multiple grants, including the New Investigator Research Award, the RNF Research Fellow grant, the New Investigator EBP/QI Award and the Fellow EBP/QI Award.

ARN and RNF are committed to periodic evaluation and revision of the research agenda. As rehabilitation nursing evolves, so too will the research agenda.

For more information about the rehabilitation nursing research agenda and the research grants available, contact RNF at: